Private Message to Raz and Auri

[alt_antonin]

I've had something very odd happen this evening, and I thought to ask you both if either of you had any suggestions on how to handle it.

As I was marking the end-of-term essays from the theoretical class that they turned in this week during their exams, a house-elf brought me an additional sheet of parchment and told me it was the last sheet of Mr Longbottom's essay and had fallen behind his trunk before he turned in the rest. Since I'd already marked Mr Longbottom's essay, and it had not seemed to be missing anything, I thought it might have been a draft version, but I happened to glance at it and it read only "this is all lies".

I checked with the elf and apparently Mr Longbottom writes that invocation at the end of each of his essays for my class, then removes it before turning it in.

I must confess, I do not have any idea what to do in this situation. I have not found the boy to be disruptive in class, but neither is he very bright. And of course there's his parents to consider -- but at the same time I do not want to automatically condemn him simply based on the choices of his parents. My first instinct is to call him in after next term begins and see if I might get to the bottom of this, but he's repeatedly seemed quite wary of me (and with attitudes such that he feels the need to disclaim every essay he has written for my class, one suspects he will not respond well to either gentle coaxing or outright asking).

Do either of you have a better suggestion?

Comments

[alt_sinistra]

Goodness. You just caught me - was about to head outside again. Ignoring the content for a moment, but what makes you say he's not very bright?

There are things he struggles with in my class, but overall his work is quite solid, when he's not rushed. There's a few odd places, but his charts are solid, his essays actually answer the question, and his observation notes are clear. (The odd place is mostly with work he does more quickly - transcription errors he'll catch given time.) Not top of my class, but definitely top half, maybe the bottom of the top third.

On the rest of it, I've no idea where to start, beyond the usual gestures at assumptions about your field. (And they might well come from his grandmother, mind: everything I've ever heard of her makes it clear she is quite the conservative older witch and set in her ways.) What I saw in the YPL work was a solid attempt at participating, but he had rather a bad broom crash during the CCF trials, and of course has had fewer opportunities since.

I'd be glad to show you his work for me - bring some of yours, and we can compare tomorrow night?

[alt_antonin]

Hm. You may be right, regarding the assumptions -- I only know of Augusta Longbottom through reputation, but from those bits of reputation I can certainly believe her quite set in her ways. And, well, how many times have you and I spoken of traditional prejudices...

And I must confess: thinking back over the past few months, the "not very bright" perception is, alas, sloppy thinking on my part. He told me, in our initial interview, that Amycus thought he was not very bright, and that combined with the fact he has done the absolute basics in my class to avoid complete failure, and the fact his analysis tends towards the shallow and rote, has contributed to reinforce that observation. And thinking back on his behaviour in class, I suspect he has been doing his utmost to lead me to those conclusions. (Which is fairly mortifying when one thinks about it too closely; I am supposed to be better than that.)

Which raises the question: why is he so determined to make me think he's so dim?

I will bring samples of his work, yes. And when the children return for next term, I will keep a closer eye on him.

[alt_sinistra]

Toshenka, dear,

You have been more than a little busy managing hordes of students, curricular design for five years of classes, a new set of personalities to arrange like stars in the heavens to your liking, and the occasional national crisis.

More to the point, we all work from baselines, and you are still establishing yours for a given year, and for a given segment of the class, never mind for an individual. (If you feel you must be mortified, you might consider the degree to which lack of sleep might contribute to lack of insight, and apply yourself diligently to actually getting enough rest over holidays and next term.)

As to why - we've had those conversations as well. You do intimidate, Tosha. Who you are, what you are, the power you hold in every possible dimension. And it might be only that. It might be something else, but I think you'd have to actually talk to him to figure out what. Or even what category of what.

I wonder, could you arrange something to observe him when he's not as aware of you? (It is almost a pity he's not in CCF, or you might volunteer your services to Dolores whenever she arranges that plan of hers.)

[alt_antonin]

I do not think I could bring myself to be that helpful to Dolores even for the sake of solving this particular mystery, little star.

But for all that you have a point (and you do have a point) -- you also forget that for the last dozen years I have been expected to make much more high-stakes decisions and evaluations, much more quickly. And, of course, there's the wondering about what else I have missed. But that's another collection of issues.

I wonder -- if I am recovered enough when we return from holidays to brave your steps, I might prevail upon you to allow me to sit in through one of the fifth-year observation sessions.

[alt_sinistra]

Alas, then. (It would have been a great deal of fun to watch, mind you.)

And you do have a point, yes, but my argument about baselines does apply. You may insert my lecture on "If you were transported to Australia, the stars you currently know would not make sense to you, but the same tools work once you have your bearings." here. Editing in something else for the stars, since you've already admitted that the ones here would not help you much anyway. By and large, our affairs are not so high-stakes as you're used to, and I'm sure that must affect calibration.

(Pardon. Apparently marking the 4th years has gotten to me.)

As to sitting in, of course you may, any night you wish. And if you come for the newt gathering tomorrow, you'll even have something of an excuse that is not solely about Mr Longbottom.

[alt_antonin]

I will indeed be there for your gathering. And you're welcome to drop in to mine, as well; I do not know how many of the little darlings will take me up on it, but if no one shows up, I will at least have time to do some extra marking.

Mind you, it might take me an hour to make it up your stairs -- but I will be there.

[alt_rabastan]

His work for me is passable, but he'll need to step up if he wants to be a newt. For example's sake- In third year he was ill on the day of a rather major practical test and demonstration, and he never did bother to come in and make it up. Always have the impression he's trying not to be noticed, but you know, there are more than a few students who get that way about professors.

I think you ought to call him in, when the time's right. I've never done it myself, but now that I think on it, maybe he ought to be pressed, seeing as he's always avoided it.